羊入虎口
羊入虎口 (yáng rù hǔ kǒu) literally means “a sheep enters a tiger's mouth” and expresses “walk helplessly into certain danger”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: yang ru hu kou, yang ru hu kou,羊入虎口 meaning, 羊入虎口 in english
Walk helplessly into certain danger
Pronunciation: yáng rù hǔ kǒu Literal meaning: A sheep enters a tiger's mouth
Origin & Usage
A vernacular idiom from late-imperial fiction rather than the classics. It appears in the novel Fenzhuang Lou (《粉妆楼》, chapter 7) — 'then it will be a sheep entering a tiger's mouth, and what can be done?' (那时羊入虎口，怎生是好) — and an older variant, 羊落虎口, is found in Yuan drama. The picture needs no explanation: a defenceless animal delivering itself to the predator best placed to destroy it. It is used for a weak party being sent into a situation it cannot possibly survive, often with a note of protest at whoever is doing the sending. Pair it with 虎入羊群 (a tiger among sheep), which describes the same meeting from the tiger's side.
Examples
English: "Sending the new intern to negotiate alone with that client would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth."
Chinese: 让他一个人去对付那帮人，简直是羊入虎口。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
虎入羊群
hǔ rù yáng qún
Unstoppable force against the defenceless
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驱羊攻虎
qū yáng gōng hǔ
Send the weak against the strong to certain defeat
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羊质虎皮
yáng zhì hǔ pí
Imposing outside, timid within
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十羊九牧
shí yáng jiǔ mù
Too many officials for too few people
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顺手牵羊
shùn shǒu qiān yáng
Exploit small opportunities
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羚羊挂角
líng yáng guà jiǎo
Artistry that leaves no trace
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歧路亡羊
qí lù wáng yáng
Too many choices lead nowhere
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亡羊得牛
wáng yáng dé niú
A small loss that yields a greater gain
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 羊入虎口 mean in English?
羊入虎口 (yáng rù hǔ kǒu) literally translates to “A sheep enters a tiger's mouth” and is used to express “Walk helplessly into certain danger”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 羊入虎口 used?
Situation: Sending the new intern to negotiate alone with that client would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth.
What is the pinyin for 羊入虎口?
The pinyin pronunciation for 羊入虎口 is “yáng rù hǔ kǒu”.